To celebrate American Heart Month and our Healthy Hearts Challenge, every day this week we’re posting a quick tip to help you eat for a healthier heart. Here’s today’s tip:

Tip 1: Eat These 6 Purple Foods to Help Your Blood Pressure.

Research shows that people who eat blue and purple fruits and vegetables—blueberries, plums, purple cabbage, black currants, eggplant and purple grapes—have a reduced risk for high blood pressure and low HDL cholesterol (that’s the good kind). Scientists believe that anthocyanins, the compounds that give purple foods their color, are responsible for these boons. Blue and purple foods make up only about 3 percent of the average American’s fruit and veggie intake, so aim to eat more.

Brierley's interest in nutrition and food come together in her position as nutrition editor at EatingWell. Brierley holds a master’s degree in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A Registered Dietitian, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont.